Sunday, February 2, 2014

The 28th member: Croatia

Croatia was
on my list of places I had to go while studying abroad. I saw Pinterest
pictures of the beautiful beaches and read articles of the spectacular food, and knew I had to go!
Here are some tips to help you put your Kuna (Croatian money) to good use!

Plan your
trip in advance; we got a flight to Pula for just 30 euros round trip! We also
stayed in a hostel in a good location for under 10 euros a night! It will be
cheaper to go in the tourist off-season, like we did, and you will still have a
great time!

Food: Be aware that some restaurants and
tourist attractions aren't open during these periods. We wandered around
looking for a restaurant with great reviews on Trip Advisor, but none in that
area were open! When looking for a place to eat, instead just walk towards the
city center and check out the menu boards. Croatia uses the Kuna as their
currency, so 1 USD = 5.50 HRK, so most everything you find will be at a great
price and be some of the best food you will have while abroad or ever! I really think
that the

truffle and Prosciutto hand-made pasta was the best meal I have ever
tasted! And it only cost me 70 HRK, so roughly 12 bucks!I also suggest seafood, I had the most delicious fried calamari!

Attractions: Croatia has some of the most
beautiful beaches in the world! Most of them are public, so you won’t have to
pay to go to them. We went in late October and could still go swimming! The
water is so clear that you can see every detail of the bottom while floating in
the water! Another great thing is that you can have food and drinks on the
beach. We packed a picnic of local olives and wine and discovered what
the region had to offer!

Check out
the local land marks as well. Croatia has a heavy Roman influence, and there is
a lot of spectacular ancient architecture to see! In Pula, there is one of the
six largest amphitheaters in the world! It is one of the best preserved as
well, and with your ticket in you can experience it in a truly personal way!
You can walk around the center stage, in the center, climb on the inner walls
and sit in the seats! We got in with a student discount, making our entry cost
about 3 USD, definitely worth it!

Transport:
Croatia has a great
public bus system. Tickets were cheap and could take you to the beach or nearby
cities for the day! A one way trip ran about 2 USD. We also took a cab from the airport. There were 8 of us, and even with a big van the trip only cost us a few American dollars.

So bring
your student ID and your sense of afventure, and get to Croatia for a great get-away!